Marilyn: Unseen photos

HE not only captured Marilyn Monroe at her most intimate, but is responsible for one of the most iconic screen images of all time — the famous shot of the blonde bombshell standing over a subway grill on the set of The Seven Year Itch, her white halter dress billowing in the rush of uprising air.

Now 100 never before published photographs by Bruno Bernard are featured in a book that aims to quash the rumours surrounding her death.

The book by his daughter, Susan, claims to have unearthed evidence about a death that has confounded and compelled generations.

“I wanted to delve deeper and set the record straight,” said Ms Bernard. “The dead have to be defended and I’m defending them.”

But the book had a deeper meaning for Susan as she set out to prove her father’s theory — that Monroe’s death was a tragic accident.

“He was trying to denounce all the ridiculous conspiracy theories that surrounded her passing. He felt that was just invented history.

“He didn’t believe that Bobby Kennedy had anything to do with it... I know there will be a lot controversy about this. I know that there are people who don’t believe this... But my father believed it, and it’s shown in his writings, that this was an accident.”

Susan, 63, has also led remarkable life, posing for Playboy aged 17. In 2000, Playboy Magazine named her one of the 100 most beautiful women of the century.

The photographs will be shown for the first time in Ireland this week at the Maureen O’Hara Classic Film Festival.

- Marilyn: Intimate Exposures, published by Sterling Press, is to be released in Europe before Christmas.